Rose Offering  OC x Kaoru
by HitachiinElephant
Summary: That one game that hurt so many girls used to entertain the Hitachiin boys in a twisted way. Back then, it was all they knew, really. It always ended the same... Until she came along.
1. Once a Game, Once a Memory

Rose Offering

OC x Kaoru Hitachiin

B y HitachiinElephant

"You know," the boy smirked, "I'm sure Kaoru wouldn't mind sharing you with me, and he doesn't have to know."

It was a normal middle school game for the Kaoru Hitachiin and his twin, Hikaru Hitachiin, who hid in the bushes nearby. A girl would send them a note confessing their love to one twin. The opposite boy would hide nearby while the other twin would convince the girl to secretly cheat on his brother. It didn't hurt the boys' feelings, but they thought of it as fun.

Just fun.

The beautiful young girl looked down, her hands locked in front of her. "I-I appreciate the offer, Hikaru… But…"

The Hitachiin tilted his head slightly. "But?"

She hesitated a moment, still not meeting his gaze. "… But I wouldn't want to go against him. I'm sorry." With that, she turned to leave the boy, soon joined by his brother, both standing in shock.

"She turned you down?" Kaoru stared off after her.

Hikaru could only answer with a nod, still amazed. After many girls agreed to cheat with either twin, one turned a Hitachiin down. She wanted to be loyal to Kaoru.

She refused.

When Hikaru and Kaoru joined the Host Club, their little game died. They became happy as hosts, happier when they met Haruhi Fujioka. They didn't need their mean little games anymore. Nowadays, they acted for their customers, being the taboo brothers with a forbidden love for each other. It was the same every day, yet different. Today, the act involved a cookie.

"Mm. You make wonderful cookies, miss," Hikaru grinned.

The girl, whose name neither boy really knew, blushed deeply. "Th-Thank you! I made them just for you two!"

Kaoru chuckled lightly as he took the last cookie. He only bit the end of it, staring at the brother who frowned. "Would you like to have the last one, Hikaru?" His hand reached for the treat in his mouth, but another one stopped him.

"I've got it." The older twin carefully leaned forward, smirking as the guests nearly stopped breathing. Of course, the boys planned this, so Kaoru was not surprised when Hikaru gently bit the other end of the cookie. They held their stance for a moment, letting the girls take in the scene. After a few moments, the older sibling tilted his head so their foreheads touched, snapping the cookie in two. By this point, Kaoru had produced a fairly dark blush.

Without moving, Hikaru ate his half of the treat. "Mmm. Delicious"

Kaoru quickly chewed and swallowed his part, still blushing as he looked away. The girls squealed loudly, wriggling in joy.

"So cute!"

"Oh, the borhterly love!"

"They're just so adorable!"

As they squealed, the doors quietly creaked open. A girl stepped in shyly, looking around at the dozens of girls.

Suddenly, standing before her was a beautiful blond boy. "Hello, my darling," he cooed softly, offering a rose, "I see you are new here. Welcome to the Ouran Host Club."

"Thank you," she nodded, taking the rose in her hand, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. She looked down, trying to hide her blush with her bronze-colored hair.

The blond took her hand and lead her inside. "Please, join us. We will be happy to entertain you for the day."

She played with the soft petals of the rose as he brought her inside. She glanced atound the room for similar blue suits when she heard the word "we."

Sure enough, there were six other boys with other groups of girls. Two, however, caught her eye.

"Do you mind if I have those two entertain me?" she asked, looking toward two twins.

The one who had greeted her smiled. "Ah, the Hitachiin brothers. Go right ahead." He released her hand before returning to his pack of females.

The slender girl joined the recovering group and chatted with a few of them. But her attention stayed on the beautifully placed roses on the table before her. The petals were fully grown out, and they looked so soft. And the smell they emitted was just grand.

"Would you like one for your own?" One of the twins asked, smiling softly at her.

She stared for only a second before brushing her hair behind her ear. "N-No, I already have one, but thank you just the same." She lifted the first rose she received from her lap.

"Well, two is always better than one," the other boy chuckled as the first one pulled a rose from the vase.

She let the stem slip through her fingers, taking the flower in her hands. It was even grander than the first.

"Thank you," she smiled softly, not taking her eyes off the beauty of this masterpiece.

For the rest of the day, the girl admired the rose, which looked like it was tended by the gods. It was just so perfect, she couldn't believe her eyes. The stem was a healthy shade of green, it stood strong, and the thorns were cut expertly, for you could barely tell they were once there.

And the flower! The flower really was magnificent. The large, blood-red petals were soft. Soft as the feather of a dove. It was almost as if the flower, itself, was made with a dove's feathers, dipped in a pool of Venus' blood. It was just that lovely. The female couldn't help not keeping her hands off those tender feathers.

When the day was over, a boy tapped the new guest's shoulder. "Excuse me, miss. Are you heading home?" A light chuckle left his lips.

Her cheeks flushed a light pink shade. "O-Oh, sorry." She brushed herself off and stood up, seeing the two twins stand before her, smiling.

"So you like roses, do you?" they asked in unison, their voices only slightly different.

"All flowers, actually," she corrected them, twirling the rose in her fingers.

Both boys glanced at each other, then suddenly wrapped their arms around her shoulders. Her cheeks flared with heat from this action.

"You know, if you like flowers so much," one began.

"You should stop by the garden tomorrow after school." The other picked up where the first left off.

"What's going on then?" she questioned. Anything that involved flowers caught her attention immediately.

"The school's holding its annual flower show," the twin explained.

"Every year, Ouran brings in hundreds of different flowers and puts them on display in the garden. It's really quite a sight."

The bronze-haired girl looked down at the flower in her fidgeting hands. Hundreds of different flowers all in one place for her to see? "Of course I'll come. Are you and your friends going to be there?"

The twins chuckled, smiling at her. "Of course we are! The Host Club never misses an event like that!" They laughed softly as their fingers teased her chin, whispering in her ear. "We'll see you there."

Her cheeks burned like a raging wildfire, turning a deep shade of red. Before she could verbally respond, however, they were gone. A giggle slipped her lips as she left the room behind.

Later that night in the Hitachiin home, Kaoru lay on the left side of a large bed, staring out the window. Hikaru slipped on a pair of pajama pants before joining him sitting beside his brother. "What's wrong?" he asked his sibling, knowing something was bothering him.

A moment of silence passed before a sigh broke it. "That new girl, the one who likes flowers… She seems so familiar, like I've seen her before." He stared out at the full moon shining down on their home.

Another line of silence hung in the air before the older Hitachiin responded. "You know, I think you're right. She does seem so familiar. But… Where from?"

Both teens looked up to the sphere in the sky, shining its white glow on their questioning looks.


	2. Flower Festival

When Kaoru woke up the n3ext morning, his mind was already at work, memories flying left and right. No memory was left unchecked, even to the smallest detail of a simple, brief glance. His brother could tell the girl was troubling him again.

"Kaoru," he sighed as they rode in their sleek black limousine, "You shouldn't let that girl bother you. I'm sure it's nobody important."

The younger Hitachiin stared at the floor of the car, his hands locked together and hanging over his knees, not saying anything.

His response wasn't what Hikaru wanted. He groaned and stared out the window, resting his chin in his hand.

_Who is she?_ Kaoru asked himself. _I _have_ to know._

When the two arrived, the halls were nearly empty, almost silent as a library. Any beings that did linger all headed for the garden or other rooms.

Wasting no time so not to upset their "king," the boys rushed to Music Room 3 to change into kimonos.

Meanwhile, in the garden, the new girl admired the bunches of tulips, waiting for the roses to be ready. Finding out more about the festival that morning, she brought some money to buy some roses, at least one of each color. At least.

"Enjoying the flowers, my dear?" The familiar blond appeared beside her, looking over her shoulder.

She turned and smiled, seeing his lovely red kimono, littered with cherry blossom designs. "Yes, yes. I am, thank you. Thank you, also, for the rose yesterday, Mr. -"

"Tamaki." He bowed slightly as he took her hand in his. "Tamaki Suou."

She smiled as a faint mauve color crept into her cheeks. "… Tamaki. Thank you. By the way, do you know when they're going to open the rose area?" She glanced around the garden, hoping to see a florist or faculty moving in the beautiful flowers. She could already smell that wonderful aroma, floating through the air.

Tamaki glanced up at the great clock tower that stood high over the private academy of Ouran. "Not for another two hors. Looking forward to them?"

Her gaze moved back to the tulips. Yes. Roses are the queen of flowers in my eyes. They show the most beauty and grace while still showing great strength."

He chuckled softly. "You really do love those roses."

A breath of a laugh left her lips that curled into a smile. "Well, my mother is a florist and runs the flower shop in town. I help out after school and on weekends sometimes." She glanced up at the clock tower again. "Well," she sighed, "thank you for the information, Mr. Suou. It's greatly appreciated." She left him with a nod, strolling around a bit more.

After a half hour of looking at other flowers, the girl sat under a cherry tree, surrounded by falling blossoms. All she could do was wait for the rose displays to open. She leaned back against the tree, watching the blossoms float gracefully like ballarinas to the ground. She closed her eyes, imagining all the wonderful roses they would have.

"Why am I not surprised?" a voice laughed before her, making her jump slightly. A faint scarlet color rose in her cheeks.

"I couldn't pass up a whole day of flowers," she giggled.

The boy, dressed in a dark blue kimono with various flower designs on it, held out a hand to help her up. "Waiting for the roses to go on display, I'm guessing?" he questioned.

She nodded, looking up to the clock tower as he pulled her up. A frown slightly showed itself. Another hour of waiting.

Seeing her disappointment, the twin smirked. "If you're that passionate about roses, maybe I could sneak you in." He gave her a wink as he spoke, making her giggle a little.

"But wouldn't you get in trouble?" She didn't want to get anyone in trouble. She could wait if that was the issue.

He shook his head, laughing a little as he already began pulling her toward a large tent. "If we get in without being seen, we'll be home free."

She was about to ask how, when they suddenly stopped, hiding behind a tree, the twin pressing a finger to his lips. After a moment of waiting, they were running for the tent.

As soon as the unzipped the flap, the smell of roses flew out, littering the girl's nostrils. She didn't hesitate a moment to get inside, almost leaving the orange-haired one behind. But what she saw made her stop in her tracks.

Before her were hundreds, maybe even thousands of roses. The tent held a fantastic-smelling rainbow of them! Blue ones, white ones, green ones, even black ones! She nearly fainted.

"Here we are. Ouran's rose display before opening," he sighed, zipping the flap shut again. "What do you think?"

It's… It's amazing! She gasped, stumbling forward to ogle the white roses she only dreamed of seeing. "I've never seen this many in one place! Where do they get them? Oh thank you for bringing me in-" She then noticed she never caught his name.

He chuckled, shrugging slightly. "Kaoru." She thought she saw him before.

"Sakura Shissa," she smiled, looking back at him.

It was his turn to freeze up. He suddenly remembered that one day. That one, special day when one special girl turned down a second Hitachiin to go out with.

She giggled a little at his expression. "Surprised? Let me refresh your memory." She plucked a snowy rose and softly stroked its feathers, looking down to hide her blush. "I sent you a love note, and we met out in the courtyard of the middle school. You, acting as Hikaru, asked if I wanted to pretty much cheat on you behind your back. But I-"

"You refused. I-I know." He was still in shock a bit. "But how did you…?"

"Other girls, Kaoru," Sakura giggled. "I heard about your game. But I'm fine with it now. At least we all know I'm a good person." She placed the white rose back in its place. "So how's it been since middle school?"

He was finally able to relax a bit at the casual question. "Good, I guess," he shrugged as he leaned against the shelf of roses beside her. "I've joined the Host Club with my brother, and we couldn't be happier."

Sakura smiled and looked at him. "That's good. It's nice to see you two smile once in a while."

He chuckled a little, looking down at the ground. "Yeah. It feels good to have friends."

"Who's in there?" a voice barked from outside the tent.

She gasped softly. "Kaoru! What do we do?" she exclaimed quietly, watching the tent flap carefully.

Without wasting a second, he took her hand and ran for the other end of the tent. "They can't catch us 'til they catch us!"

But as they turned the corner, they saw the zipper sliding down.

"Kaoru!"

The male frantically looked around, looking for another way ou. With no luck finding another exit, he made one. "Time to tuck and roll!"

Without giving her a chance to speak, he pulled the bronze-haired female close to him and rolled out under the tent, down a sudden hill.


	3. Specialness

Before long, the two were laughing as they tumbled, splitting apart. What was once a tense escape was now childish fun, Easy, carefree, childish fun.

When they came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, however, only one teen's laughing was heard for a few moments more. When Kaoru noticed the silence, he sat up and glanced around for the girl.

"Sakura? Sakura, you alright?" he called out not too loudly.

After another string of silence, a soft moan of pain came from under a cherry tree.

"Sakura! Geeze, are you alright?" He crawled next to her, shaking her slightly. He wasn't so sure why he was so worried, but he thought it was because of his hostly ways… Or maybe…

Maybe she could be a new friend.

"I-I'm fine, Kaoru," she sighed softly, gripping the back of her head as she sat up. A light hiss left her lips as she did so.

The twin moved behind Sakura, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Let me see." He gently moved her hand away, feeling a thick, warm liquid on it. Once he moved the hand, a bloody wound could be seen. "Sakura! Y-You're bleeding!"

The bronze-haired girl looked at her hand. "So I am." She sighed as she began to sway a little.

"We better get you to the nurse. You're losing a lot of blood." He caught her arms and helped her up, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

The girl stuttered as they slowly made their way back to the main building. "I-I-I'll be f-fine. Just a-a little blood." Opposing her statement, a sigh blew past her lips as she began to fall forward.

Kaoru brought her into a hug to stop her from falling, blushing ever so slightly. "You're not fine. I'm taking you to the nurse."

She nodded, moving slowly with the Hitachiin. She couldn't argue now.

By the time the two got to the nurse's office, Sakura could barely sit up, let alone stand from being so lightheaded. The nurse gave her pain killers as she began to clean the wound. It didn't take long, since it wasn't so big, but it took a good few minutes.

"Try not to make any sudden movements with your head for a while, okay?" she explained as she finished wrapping the bandages around her head.

Once she was finished, the patient nodded carefully and left.

As she passed the doorway, she noticed the Hitachiin twins outside the door. "Are you okay?" they questioned in unison, leaning forward with their hands behind their backs.

"Yes, thank you." She turned to Kaoru and nodded politely. "And thank you, Kaoru, for helping me earlier." A slight blush snuck onto her cheeks as she spoke towards him.

He smiled back at her, nodding. "You better hurry. The rose display is going to open soon."

"Thank you," she giggled before running off to the display.

Hikaru chuckled a little as he crossed his arms, looking to his younger brother. "So… She's the one girl who refused?"

"Yeah." He couldn't but watch her run off. Something about her.

It was special. Not like brother special or fellow host special, though…

Could this be friend special?


	4. Coming and Going

The days passed and Sakura came back to the Host Club, visiting with the twins. They soon became close friends, the girls, jealous of her just a bit. No guest has ever been so close to a Host, so they had good reason to be. But Sakura was still happy and so were the Hitachiins. Every day, the trio would meet up in the garden and walk together to their cars, talking and laughing amongst themselves at the end of the day. It became a daily routine.

One day, however, she didn't come.

The Hitachiins shrugged it off. Everyone had their sick days. But once she was gone for four whole days, they became concerned, especially Kaoru.

"Where's Sakura?" he would ask, glancing around the garden. She was always there before them, usually under the cherry tree that sat in the middle of the garden. The only thing under the tree those pass few days were now fallen cherry blossoms.

Hikaru watched his brother carefully, never seeing him act like this to anyone except Haruhi and Hikaru, himself. "Dunno. Did you try calling her?"

He shook his head, still not looking at his twin. "Don't have her number."

"I thought she gave it to you the other day. Here." Hikaru handed him his own cell, the dial town already ringing. Kaoru took it eagerly.

"Hello?" A soft voice finally answered after a few more rings.

"Sakura?"

"No, this is her aunt. May I ask who this is?" The woman already seemed suspicious.

"Kaoru Hitachiin, ma'am. I'm a friend of Sakura Shissa's. May I speak with her please?"

Silence followed. He almost thought she hung up on him.

"If you really must speak with her, come to the hospital. She's not allowed-" But the younger male already snapped the phone shut and gave it back to his brother.

"We've got to go!" he exclaimed as he grabbed his brother's arm and ran for the car.

The older one was a bit confused. "Wh-What? Why?"

"She's in the hospital!"

The younger twin left his brother behind as he raced inside, nearly flying over the front desk. "I'm here to see Sakura Shissa," he panted.

The secretary looked at him, slightly confused and surprised. "I'm sorry, but we don't have a Sakura Shissa here. Could you have meant Zeil Shissa?" She typed the name into her computer and skimmed his information. "Says here he is the father of Sakura Beliza Shissa."

He sighed in relief, knowing she was alright, but was now worried for her asked as Hikaru came up behind him.

The secretary smiled and stood, leaning over the desk and looking down the hall.  
"Room 49, third one on your left."

"Thank you," Hikaru nodded, walking down the hall with his twin. "So, she's alright?" he whispered.

The other nodded slowly. "But it's her father."

"What's wrong with him?"

Unable to answer the question, he opened the door to find out for himself, peeking inside.

"Daddy! Can't you let me win at least once?" That familiar voice giggled inside, joined by someone else's deeper laughter.

"I'm just playing the game, honey."

At first, the boys regretted interrupting, but cautiously stepped in. "Excuse us," they said softly.

The father and daughter looked to their visitors. Sakura blushed slightly, smiling at the two. "Daddy, these are my friends, the Hitachiins, Hikaru and Kaoru." She motioned to each twin as she said their names, and correctly, to their surprise.

The boys bowed slightly in respect. "A pleasure to meet you, Shissa, Sir."

The man chuckled a little. "Relax, boys. Come in, come in. My daughter told me all about you two. Especially you, Kaoru."

Hikaru smiled, looking to his surprised sibling. "M-Me, Sir?"

"Yes, and please, both of you, call me Zeil. Now come and join us in our game of Chinese checkers."

Although hesitant, the two joined their game, soon relaxing and enjoying themselves. The group chattered and laughed for an hour or so. Everyone was enjoying this time together.

Soon, though, Mrs. Shissa, whose name was Yuna, came to pick up her daughter and peck her husband on the cheek. The twins decided to head home as well, seeing the late time. But as Hikaru and Kaoru were leaving, Zeil caught the younger one's wrist.

"Kaoru, right?" he chuckled a little as he released him to pat the chair beside his bed. "I want to talk to you before you leave. It'll only be a moment."

The twin hesitated a moment, but say. He feared he had done something wrong. "Yes, Zeil, Sir?"

The man struggled a bit to sit up, chuckling a little. "Please, just Zeil." As quickly as his happy tone came, however, a more solemn one took its place. "But I want to talk to you about my daughter, Sakura. I'm not going to be around much longer. She thinks I'm in here because of a heart attack." He sighed softly, looking down. "That's not exactly true. Yes, I've been having heart problems since I was born, but now… The doctors can't do anything."

Kaoru knew he was now so serious, there was no turning back. "May I ask why you're in the hospital then, Zeil?"

All was silent for a moment, with only the sound of the monitor's beeping.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

"Cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy," he said softly, a blank stare on his face. "Too keep things simple, my heart isn't in the right shape, changing my blood flow for the worse." The teen saw one tear fall from the man's chin.

"I'm a goner by the end of the week, maybe sooner."

The boy was speechless. What was he supposed to say? What _could_ he say? The man could die tonight for all he knew!

"I'm very sorry, Zeil," was all he could say, his voice cracking a bit.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

The man sighed once again as he lie down, gently grabbing the twin's shoulder. "That's why I need you to take good care of my daughter when I leave the world, alright? Other than her mother, you and your brother will be the only people she'll have left." His grip tightened on Kaoru's shoulder and the monitor's _beep_ing sounds suddenly raced.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

_Death! Death! Death!_

"Shissa, Sir!"

His voice was strained and barely a whisper, but the Hitachiin was able to catch it before being removed by doctors.

"Tell Sakura that Daddy loves her."

And that was it. His last words.

Kaoru rode home with his brother silently after his removal, not telling him until that night before they went to bed. Hikaru wanted to call Sakura, saying she had the right to know, but his sibling stopped him.

"Let her be happy her father's alive for one more night."

The other stared for a moment, then nodded silently. For Sakura, her father was still alive in that hospital bed for one last night.

Even though he left hours ago.


	5. Stormy Lullaby

Sakura stayed home for the next few days, more depressed than she could handle. Her mother kept a close eye on her from the moment she awoke from a deep slumber caused by as much as an hour of sobbing.

The brothers continued school as usual, but the sadness still club to their hearts. They refused to attend the Host Club, saying they needed time. Luckily for them, Tamaki allowed it, and by Tamaki, I obviously mean Kyouya.

Every once in a while after school, their pain-stricken friend would call, wanting to talk to a twin for comfort.

That following weekend, while Hikaru was showering, Kaoru made his escape, leaving a note for his brother. He rode in the family limo to Sakura's home, thinking about what he would say.

"Young master," the driver called softly, "We've arrived."

"Hm?" The younger Hitachiin was so deep in thought, he didn't notice they had stopped in front of a small mansion. "Oh. Thank you. I'll call when I'm ready to come home." He stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him., waving the driver off as he rang the doorbell.

A few moments passed until Mrs. Shissa answered. "Ah, you must be one of the Hitachiin brothers. Hikaru, is it?"

He smiled softly. "No, ma'am. I'm Kaoru, but it's fine." He peeked around the woman. "Is… Sakura home?"

She frowned slightly and nodded. "Out back in the garden. Please, do be careful with her."

"Thank you, Mrs. Shissa." He gave her a slight nod before she shut the door and he began to walk around back. A distant rumble could be heard. "Sounds like a storm's brewing," he mumbled to himself. A lovely garden welcomed him to the back yard. Tulips, daises, and especially roses were _everywhere_, and sitting in one of the rose beds was Sakura.

He approached her carefully, unsure of what to do. He cleared his throat quietly, an arm behind his back.

She looked up quickly, a slight gasp slipping her lips. "IK-Kaoru? What-What are you doing here?" she questioned as he sat beside her.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. Your father made me promise to take good care of you." He blushed slightly at his words, looking to his side for a moment. I wouldn't want to break a promise I made for him." He saw her smile out of the corner of his eye, making him look directly at her and smile back.

A moment of silence filled the air, a tinge of happiness with it. Neither said a word as a light breeze blew by.

"You wanna see my favorite spot in the garden?" the bronze-haired girl suddenly offered, looking to the twin again.

He looked up at the girl and smiled. "Sure." He stood and held out a hand to help her up, which she took politely. When her hand touched his, however, Kaoru felt a spark ignite within him. He shook off the feeling and followed the female through a hedge maze until they came upon a lovely hutch. Rose bushes stood guard on either side of it, columns of curling vines behind them.

"It's amazing," he said, gazing at the small structure. She giggled softly and smiled.

Suddenly, a flash of light flew across the sky, rumbling thunder chasing after it. Sakura jumped with a quiet shriek, running into the hutch and curling into a ball on one of the benches.

"Sakura?" he called softly, sitting beside her, "Are you afraid of storms?"

She nodded, shaking a little bit as she pulled her legs up to her chest. "Terrified. I can't stand-!" She squeaked as another round of thunder and lightning interrupted her. Rain began to lightly tap the roof of the garden dome.

The male sat beside her and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, hugging the girl close to his side. "It's alright," he cooed, "I'll take care of you, alright?" She buried her face in his chest as her grip tightened. He nuzzled her gently as he softly whispered a song in her ear.

"_Little child, be not afraid. The rain pounds harsh like an unwanted stranger. There is no danger. I am here tonight… Little child, be not afraid. The thunder explodes and the lightning flash illuminates your tear-stained face. I am here tonight._

"_And some day you'll know that nature is so. The same rain that draws you near me falls on rivers and land, on forest and sand makes the beautiful world that we see in the morning._"

Sakura blushed deeply as he sang to her. Her eyes began to droop as she cuddled closer to Kaoru. He didn't mind, really. In fact…

He kind of enjoyed her closeness.

The storm was brief, the lightning and thunder staying fairly dull. The rain tapped steadily against the roof, almost like music for the twin's lullaby, sending himself into a light slumber as he held the girl in his arms.


End file.
